DACA recipients lose protections due to delays

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients are facing significant delays in renewing their work permits, with wait times surging in recent months. Marco, a 26-year-old medical school graduate, is one of the over 500,000 active recipients who have applied for renewal but are still waiting.

Marco came to the US from Mexico at the age of four and applied for his renewal in December 2025, but his lawyer says he still hasn’t received it. This delay is causing problems for Marco, who can’t start his residency in anesthesiology without a valid work permit.

Todd Schulte, president of FWD.us, a bipartisan advocacy organization, notes that there’s been a “400% to 1000% increase in processing times” for DACA renewals. This increase did not occur during the first Trump term, Schulte says, and is causing disruptions for recipients and employers. They are experiencing significant challenges due to these delays.

The median wait time for renewals between October 1, 2025, and February 28, 2026, was about 70 days, up from a median of about 15 days in fiscal year 2025, according to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) data. The agency is responsible for processing these applications.

DACA Recipients Face Uncertainty

Marco says he can’t pay off his $100,000 in student loans without a valid work permit. He’s not alone, as many recipients are facing similar challenges, including Maria Fuentes, a registered nurse in Kentucky who lost nearly two months of wages due to a lapse in her work permit. It is affecting their financial stability.

The USCIS has announced an enhanced vetting process, which requires the re-submission of fingerprint-based background checks. This change has led to longer processing times, according to immigration lawyers like Dan Berger. They are seeing the impact of these changes on their clients.

Impact on Healthcare and Economy

The healthcare industry heavily depends on DACA workers, with an estimated 37,000 healthcare personnel across the country who could be lost if recipients were to lose their work permits. Removing these workers from the labor force would also eliminate up to $32 billion in projected lifetime earnings. This would have a significant impact on the economy.

In other industries like manufacturing, retail, construction, and business services, the loss of lifetime earnings would be between $25 billion and $28 billion, according to the Coalition for the American Dream. The economic impact of these losses would be substantial, and they would also affect credit union membership and other financial services.

Some recipients, like Evelyn, a 34-year-old professional in retail banking, have been given an unpaid leave of absence and face termination if their renewal is not approved. Others, like Angie, a postpartum nurse, have already been terminated due to delays in their renewal applications. The company is affected by these losses.

Restrictive Immigration Policies

A Nigerian-born recipient, who completed his fellowship in orthopedic surgery, is facing additional challenges due to a presidential proclamation that froze renewals for nationals of 39 countries, including Nigeria. Although the USCIS has updated its website to indicate that physicians are no longer subject to this hold, the surgeon has still not received his renewal. The team is working to resolve these issues.

The USCIS spokesperson said that the agency is now processing certain applications associated with medical physicians, but these applications will be subject to vetting processes, including background checks and social media screening. It is a complex process that requires careful evaluation.

The delays in DACA renewals are having a significant impact on recipients, employers, and the economy. As Senator Alex Padilla‘s aide noted, the delays have “downstream impacts – on employers, on families, on people participating in the labor market.” The senator’s office is working to address these issues, which also affect the stock market and other economic indicators.

According to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, more than 90 percent of recipients over 25 are employed, earning approximately $27.9 billion a year, and paying more than $2 billion in local and state taxes, and $2 billion in Social Security and Medicare. They are contributing to the economy and society as a whole.